Ernest Farmer

Farmer, Ernest

Ernest (Jones) Farmer. Composer, pianist, teacher, b Woodstock, Ont, 18 Mar 1883, d Toronto 25 Sep 1975; ATCM 1903, BA (McMaster) 1903. After studies at the TCM 1897-1905 with Lena Hayes Smith and A.S. Vogt, in Leipzig 1905-8 with Max Reger and others, and at the Hambourg Conservatory 1911-13 with Michael Hambourg, he taught at the TCM - where his pupils included Ida Krehm, Colin McPhee, and Gerald Moore - and at the Hambourg Cons and gave occasional piano recitals. He was regarded by Luigi von Kunits as 'a theory teacher of rare originality'. He wrote articles on music (for The Etude) and economics and had some piano pieces published (1909) by Nordheimer. His Fantasia for cello and piano, which won a prize at the Hambourg Concert Society Competition in 1912, was performed by Boris Hambourg in London and other cities 'with pronounced success' (von Kunits).

A brother, Broadus (Baxter) Farmer (b Louisville, Ky, 1890, d Toronto 24 Apr 1959), was a violinist and teacher. He studied in Toronto with Lena Hayes, Jan Hambourg, and Henri Czaplinski and taught 1911-23 at the Hambourg Cons and 1923-32 at the TCM. In 1932 he opened the Broadus B. Farmer Studio on Bloor Street in Toronto. In later years he taught at the Bedford Piano Studios in Hamilton. His pupils included Hyman Goodman, John Moskalyk, Albert Pratz, Ivan Romanoff, Bill Richards, Albert Steinberg, and Carl Tapscott.